Drinking Water Database

WINZ - Water Information for New Zealand

In New Zealand, a close working relationship between the Ministry of Health and ESR, a government science provider, has resulted in a visionary drinking-water strategy being effectively supported by a comprehensive drinking-water information system. This database system is known as WINZ, or Water Information New Zealand.

WINZ was developed by ESR for the Ministry, and is used extensively by district health boards and local bodies throughout New Zealand. Two versions are available:

1. WINZ 5

This is a desktop system used for scheduling, monitoring sample entry, evaluating standards compliance, and completing the Annual Review. About 110 organisations use WINZ 5 on their local networks. Each has access to functionality and a supply subset relevant to their responsibilities. Data transfer mechanisms synchronise information sets at local, regional and national levels.

WINZ 5 has been greatly extended and updated since its beginnings in 1998, and remains the primary database for managing compliance. However, a new web version, WINZ 6, is being developed. Functionality is being progressively moved to the new platform and WINZ 5 is expected to be fully replaced in several years time.

The WINZ 5 main screen and a typical compliance screen are shown below:

winz 5 main

Winz5 comply example

2. WINZ 6

Commenced in 2006, WINZ 6 is a fully web-based system, requiring only a browser, that will eventually replace WINZ 5. This single-system database will manage all New Zealand users while ensuring each user has access to only their span of supplies and responsibilities.

The initial priority for WINZ 6 development was to provide the Ministry with database applications to manage the Drinking Water Assistance Programme (DWAP). Both the Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) and the Capital Assistance Programme (CAP) within DWAP are now fully supported by WINZ 6.

The development focus is now on bringing WINZ 5 functionality into WINZ 6. This will take several years, during which both systems will work in parallel.

An example screen from WINZ 6:

The ESR Development Approach

A national database system for drinking-water serves a multitude of roles in ensuring water supplies are identified, their water quality assessed and their risks managed. New Zealand has large modern cities, but also many small communities that often have limited knowledge and financial resources for managing their local drinking-water supply. To meet these varied needs, the WINZ system provides not only technical processes, but also often acts as the glue ensuring the many inter-relating parties work effectively together.

WINZ design and development is undertaken by a multi-disciplinary ESR team with skills in water science, public health and database development. The team works closely with sponsors and users to create a system appreciated nationally by users at all levels of sophistication.

The NZ Standards are based on WHO recommendations. The NZ drinking-water strategy, its information system, and the systematic process from which they have emerged, have value not only for New Zealand but for any other country in the world wanting to systematically improve community drinking-water quality.

It would be simplistic to assume that our system would smoothly fit within another country’s infrastructure. However, the underlying design, skills and experience gained mean we have much to offer in this area.

Characteristics of WINZ include:

A drinking-water system model proven through nation-wide use;
An inter-organisational development process and product that has encouraged disparate parties to work together for a common goal;
Cost-effective real-world systems running on Microsoft Windows (WINZ 5) or an Internet browser (WINZ 6)
No additional user-by-user software purchase is necessary;
User-friendly interface based on industry-standard expectations;
Combined expertise in public health, water quality and systems development ensure ESR projects focus on safe water priorities;
Core systems functionality is of international relevance, while a robust practical design ensures country-specific requirements are readily incorporated;
Experience with regulations, compliance, handling health events, risk management plans, scheduling and reporting.

In each of these areas, our real-world experience can shorten the development path of others and hence demonstrably safer drinking-water can become available sooner.

Data discussed or presented in these pages is from the national version of the Water Information New Zealand (WINZ) database, which defines all New Zealand community drinking-water supplies.